Motor cradle



Dec. 1,' 1953 R. l.. NEEDHAM 2,661,172

MOTOR CRADLE Filed Sept. 18, 1952 i? 4 iba-40% M Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED #STATES PATENT *OFFICE 'Rubel-VL. Needham, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General AMotors Corporation,-Detroit,-Mich.; a f fcorporation of Delaware yi'Alyiu'tasimi september 18, 195.2, serial No. 316,239

l s-'olaims (ctms-19) vThis invention 'relates' to anl improved cradle "for mounting anfelectric machine such asa' motor F oir a generator.

f' It is among the obfjeets of the present'invention toprovide a'rn'otorin'o'untv or cradle; made' up' of "har 'metal or wire struts-'sofashion'ed and secured V" together, lpreferably""by welding-'as to provide a "cradle which is7`s`ti-irdy and sufficiently rigid to withstand Vthe fstrainsand stresses 'caused by vibrations particularlyfdevelopedwhen the electric motor is ystartedfor isfsubj'ected to an overload.

Y Further objectsa'nd advantages of the present invention lwill be apparent from the following description, reference being hadto the accom- 'panying drawings* 'wherein *a preferred embodiment of-the present invention* is clearly' shown.

*In the drawings: Y

Fig. lV is ap'ers'pectivefview of' the improved cradle-for an electric i'no'tor;

' Fig. 2 is a plan view-of thecradle;

l Fig. 3 is-anendview of-"thecradle shownv in Fig. 2; Y

k Fig. 4`is a Yside View of the Hcradle and Fig. 5 shows ani'o'diiied''form of 'oradle'freenforcing and;st'ieningv means.

rReferring to? thel drawings,` the cradle isshown fas consisting Oia' mainls'trnt 2l) and areenforcing strut 2 I.

Each strut is madeofbar'material shownf to be wire, inthe formof an elongated loop theV meetingends of which areff'seourely I joined, preferablyby welding. Eachf strut has Ytwo spaced;v substantially# parallel, straight vbase portions which are longer in one strut thanin the 'andy restevenl'y upon a'ommon 'flat base. The

l closed-v end, I loop portions-of both` striits,Y vstarting from thev eXtrem-ities of theparallelfbase portions, "f converge, as show'n'inFig. 3,'the converging end "portions ofVA them'ainstrnt beingbent to form a circular concaved portion andl 3| respectively 'which are central i ofv the longitudinal center of the cradle and OI'n"I"e(seliitafclesV inwhicli th'eAAhlbS of the motorinayrest. VThe"converging loop ends of "the reenforoing strut rm`ro'u'n`ded "aeies 32 and 33 respectively.

2 The converging ends of both 'strutsfare' -bent upwardly and angula'rly relatively'to the straight base portions `so that the rounded apexes 32 and V33 of the reenfo'rcing strutalign with and engage the respective 'concaved portions' 30 and 3| 1 at the ends of themain strut, both struts being securelyjoined, ypreferably by welding lat these points of engagement.

Where the straight base portions 22'and' 23l of the reenforcing strut arelon'ger than the straight H base portions 24 `vand v'25 of the mainA strut, as

` shown in Figs. v1 and 2, `the loop ends 34 and 35 of the reenorcingstrut are bent upwardly to a lesser angle relative ter-thev base portions 24 and 25 at 'theloop ends1 36 and-31 of the mainY strut so that the rounded-apexes 32 and-"33 of thereenforcing strut-may align with and be welded to the concaved'areas Bil-'and ?|--inI the 'respective loop endsof-the'main'strutas shown in Fig. 3.

To further reenforce `the' cradle; horse-shoe shaped members 4D are secured 'between' the straightbase'portions 2I--24'and"23-f25 ofthe two struts, the open ends of saidmembersbeing 1 weldedtoone strutandthe closed,A loop ends to the Aother strut. 1These f members `also provide means vforreceiving hold-down bolts for anchoring the cradle to-aiirm base.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modified form of=stifening and hold-down membersvwhich consist of integral portions of one strut bent to provide an eyelet 5U forreceiving hold-downbolts. The `integral bentportions of the strut are contiguous so vas to l permit weldingrigidly tohold the bent portions together and-to permit :welding ofthe rounded end of-Y thebent-portionofone strutto be welded to the straight baseportionsofthe other strut. To facilitateproduction of this `wirecradle,V the center and the two end portions thereof may be lformed from separatepieees of stocky in which vcasein'eet'ing orwabuftting.` ends are welded-together to form thehs'turdyandrigid cradle. The

angdlarityzofdthe two'endloop portions of the struts relatively V'to the," straight base portions 'andthe weidmgof 'theta/f6 struts'together at their 4 extreme ehdsfand theiprovision' of" the stiieng members add to 'the 'rigidity of the dev'ic'efandits ability to withstand' vibrations offthe electric v"motor lcradled tl'ere'on.

The two 'oircul'arlyshaped clampvmemb'ers 60 'and 6| hingedly's'ecred 'to the respective ends of the'main' strut, each have clamping boltsl 62 Iby vmeans lof"'wlf1'ioh` the'collapsible" clamps -may be tightened about'hubson the'motor for grasping and'holdihg`the Inot'ory tightlynpon the concaved receptacle portions ofx the main strut.

While the strut herein has been described in terms referring to the strut 2!) as the main strut and. the strut 2l as the reenforcing strut yet it is understood that rigid reenforcement of the end structure of the cradle results from the difference in the angular relationship between the loop ends 34-35 relative to the loop ends 36--3 whereby a triangular structure results from the relative position of the respective loop ends, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The loop ends 36-31 also form a triangular structure relative to the base portions 22 and 23 of the strut 20, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby to obtain rigidity of the structure.

It is understood that the angular relationship of the loop ends 311- and 35-31 can be reversed with equivalent results.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A cradle for supporting an electric machine said cradle consisting of a main strut in the form of an elongated, closed loop of metal bar material the meeting ends of which are welded together, said strut having two spaced, parallel base portions which converge and are bent upwardly at their respective endsl the converging straight end portions terminating in a circular, concaved portion substantially centrally of the spaced base portions; a reenforcing strut similar in general shape to the main strut, the two spaced, parallel base portions thereof being aligned with the base portion of the main strut and closer together, said base portions converging at their ends and being positioned at a lesser angle relative to the parallel portions than the ends of the main strut, the apexes of the ends of the reenforcing strut engaging and being welded to the concaved end portions of the main strut; and reenorcing members between the parallel portions of the two struts and welded thereto.

2. A cradle for supporting an electric machine said cradle consisting of a main and a reenforcing strut each in the form of an elongated closed loop of metal bar material the meeting ends of which are securely joined together, each strut having two spaced substantially parallel base poi'- tions, said base portions of the main strut being shorter and spaced farther apart than the corresponding base portions of the reenforcing strut, the closed end portions of both struts, starting from the parallel base portions thereof, converging, the end portions of the main strut to form la concaved area substantially centrally of the two struts and the end portions of the reenforcing strut to form rounded apexes respectively, said converging ends being bent upwardly and angularly relatively to the parallel base portions to cause the rounded apexes of the reenforcing strut to engage the adjacent concaved areas of the respective ends of the main strut to which they are securely joined; and means attached to the main strut for clamping an electric machine upon the concaved portion of the cradle.

3. A device as defined by claim 2 in which U- shaped stiffening members have their open ends securely joined to the parallel base portion of one strut and their loop ends to the other strut, a split ring hingedly secured to the concaved ends of the main strut for cooperating with said concaved end to form a hold-down and supporting ring for the electric machine.

4. A device as defined by claim 2 in which the one strut has bolt receiving members integral with its parallel base portions, each member being securely welded to the parallel base portion of the other strut, said members reenforcing and stiffening said base portions and providing means or receiving bolts to fasten the cradle to an immovable base.

5. A cradle for supporting an electric machine said cradle consisting of a main and a reenforcing strut each in the form of an elongated, closed loop of bar metal joined securely together at the meeting ends, each strut having two spaced, substantially parallel base portions longer in one strut than in the other, the strut portions beyond said parallel base portions being bent inwardly and upwardly relatively to said base portions, the extreme respective ends of one strut being bent to form depressed, oircularly shaped receptacles for receiving and supporting the electric machine and the extreme respective ends of the other strut engaging and being securely joined to the said receptacle portions of the one strut; stiffening members rigidly securing the parallel base portions of both struts together said members having provisions for receiving hold-down bolts.

6. A cradle for supporting an electric machine, said cradle consisting of two bar struts each in the form of a closed loop with the meeting ends of each bar welded together, each strut having substantially straight, parallel intermediate portions which in the one strut are spaced a lesser distance apart than the corresponding portions of the second strut, each end portion of said second strut being substantially inverted V-shaped and bent upwardly angularly at substantially the area where the parallel bar portions begin to converge. the highest, central portion of each V-shaped end being convexedly bent to form a circularly shaped receptacle, the end portions of the second strut also being inverted V-shaped and bent upwardly angularly at substantially the area where the parallel bar portions thereof begin to converge, the apex portion of each end of the second strut engaging the circularly shaped receptacle portion of the first strut and being rigidly attached thereto so as to be immovable relative thereto; a plurality of stiflening bars secured to said lstruts -between the parallel bar portions thereof so as to be immovable relatively thereto; and a oircularly shaped collapsible clamp adjustably secured to each end of the second strut so as to cooperate with the oircularly shaped receptacle portion thereof to form a substantially closed circular clamping support.

7. A cradle for supporting an electric machine, said cradle consisting of a main and a reenforcing strut, each in the form of an elongated closed loop of material bar material, the meeting ends of which are securely joined together, each strut having two spaced, substantially parallel base portions, the base portions of one of said struts being spaced closer together than the base portions of the other of said struts, said base portions of one of said struts being shorter than the corresponding base portions of the other of said struts, the closed ends of both of said struts converging and bent upwardly and angularly relative to the parallel base portions thereof, the same bent closed ends of one of said struts being positioned at a lesser angle relative to the base portions thereof than the bent end portions of the other of said struts and securely joined thereto, and stifening members secured between the parallel base portions of both of said struts.

8. A cradle for supporting an electric machine, said cradle consisting of a main and a reenforcing strut, each in the form of an elongated closed loop of metal bar material, the meeting ends of which are securely joined together, each strut having two spaced, substantially parallel base portions, the base portions of one of said struts being spaced closer together than the base portions of the other of said struts, all of said base portions being disposed in a common plane, said base portions of one of said struts being shorter than the corresponding base portions of the other of said struts, the closed ends of both of said struts converging and bent upwardly and angularly relative to the parallel base portions thereof, the same bent closed ends of one of said struts being positioned at a lesser angle relative to the base portions thereof than the bent end portions of the other of said struts and securely joined thereto, and stifening members secured between the parallel base portions of both of said struts.

ROBERT L. NEEDHAM.

No references cited. 

